City of Renton salutes volunteers at appreciation dinner

City of Renton salutes volunteers at appreciation dinner Almost 6,500 volunteers contributed over 43,000 hours to 70 separate projects during the year

RENTON, WA ­–Last week, the City of Renton honored their many volunteers at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Dinner at the Renton Pavilion Event Center.

“Volunteers, through their donation of both time and talent, make a tremendous difference in the lives of our citizens,” said City of Renton Mayor Denis Law. “We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for all they give our city.”

Attendees were served dinner by city staff, played games to win extra raffle tickets, were entertained by acoustic guitarist Eduardo Mendonca and enjoyed a slide show highlighting their year’s work. At the end of the evening, nine lucky volunteers won gift baskets designed by each of the city’s nine departments.

The celebration coincided with April’s designation as National Volunteers Month. City volunteers put up some very impressive numbers in 2016.

Last year, 3,950 volunteers donated a total of 27,772 hours while working on 40 different projects through the city’s Community Services Department. In addition, another 2,544 volunteers contributed 15,961 hours to 30 city-sponsored events and programs.

Some of the programs that benefitted from citizen volunteers included the Trail and Park Ranger program, “Green and Clean” park cleanup, youth athletics, and specialized recreation activities. Volunteers also donated their service to Renton Police Department, Emergency Management Division, Renton Farmers Market, Renton Senior Center, Renton History Museum, and City Hall. In addition, a number of citizens served on boards, commissions, and committees.

For more information on the City of Renton’s volunteer program, including an application, please visit our website, www.rentonwa.gov/volunteer or contact Volunteer Coordinator Teresa Nishi at 425- 430-6694.

About the City of Renton

The City of Renton, Washington, with a population of 101,300 (2016), is located on the southeast shore of Lake Washington, just south of Seattle. Renton's strong economic base, diverse marketplace and favorable business climate have attracted the attention of nationally recognized companies that are providing employees and their families an outstanding quality of life. Renton is the home of Boeing, PACCAR, IKEA, the Seattle Seahawks, and the eternal resting place of Jimi Hendrix. More information can be found on our website (rentonwa.gov), Facebook page (CityofRenton) and Twitter (@CityofRenton).